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Chapter 2: The Iron Mountain
Name: Akihiro Masasaki, born James Atlas Mason Age: 29 Hair: White, originally blonde Eyes: Blue with trademark Hell-Hunter slitted pupils, originally darker blue. Born: December 20th, 1996 Christening: March 12, 2023 Designation: X-28 "Berserker" Rank: Soldier, Warrior Corps Skill: Marksmanship - 5 Melee Combat - 5 Leadership - 2 Speed - 4 Strength - 5 Personality Profile: Born James Atlas Mason, X-28 stands at a staggering 6' tall and weighs close to 180 lbs. With large musculature, quick reflexes, and a higher than average aggression standard displayed even before his Christening, X-28 earned his nickname "the Iron Mountain" after single-handedly defending an entire hospital of wounded soldiers, eventually running out of ammunition and resorting to using close-quarters, almost suicidal, tactics against the Daemonic onslaught. His aggressive tendencies and reputation for maximum casualties, both against the enemy and, at times, on his own allies, has made him selected for the Berserker Class of training. As a Berserker, James was trained by "Black Beast" Hanzo Masasaki and renamed Akihiro Masasaki, joining the inner Hell-Hunter clan of Masasaki. X-28 prefers maximum destructive advantages over his enemies, often wielding modified weaponry with explosive-tip rounds and grenades. His signature method of execution is the Masasaki Death Grip, a complex Yakuza move in which a strong member would grip the skull of a person and, using both their strength and pressing on the pressure points of the head, break it. In the last year of the war, X-28 was outfitted with a regenerative healing property as well as having Midrath laced in his bones which were also reinforced with Infinium, a newly-discovered and highly durable metal deep in the Earth. Midrath, itself, is another mineral that seems to increase cellular regeneration in humans. With these upgrades, X-28 has been placed in training until he is needed once more. ----- Clenching his teeth and slamming his fellow Hell-Hunter into a wall as hard as he can with a loud "slam", Aki roared "The fuck do you mean you couldn't find her?! Huh?!" Vincent, designated X-16 "Ranger", stuttered in reply nervously "L-L-Look, Aki, let's just calm down, alr-r-right? No need t-" Aki mockingly replied in a squeamish voice "No need t-'' Hey, look at me. You're a Freelancer. You're my eyes and ears out there. You were at the mountains where she was, supposedly, last seen and you're telling me a Specialist Ranger can't '''fucking' find one-" He was cutoff by Viper, a nearby female Hell-Hunter that was a comrade of theirs "Aki, give it a rest, will 'ya? People scoured the globe looking for her and found zip. Why don't you let the poor guy down? Looks like he's about to piss his pants." Vincent gulped as Aki looked back at her, breathing heavily, before, dropping Vincent to the ground and beginning to pace about, pondering hard. "What about Sadow?" Vincent rubbed his chest, sore from Aki's fists pressed into them "What about him...?" Aki continued "Any word on him? What's he doing?" Vincent stood up wearily "You know about as much as I do, boss... We Freelancers don't exactly keep in touch with each other, nor are we allowed to." Aki blasted a nearby metal wall with his bare fist, leaving a dent. His shoulder-length, spiked white hair dangled on each side of his head as he exhaled angrily. Viper sighed "Anyway, you're wanted Upstairs, boss. Whenever you're ready." He took a moment to stare at the metal floor, polished and clean from a morning's mopping. He could see a dark reflection of himself from the shiny black tiles before standing upright. "This is such fucking bullshit..." he muttered as he walked past the two of them. Overseer Tyrant and Overseer Blade were the only High Overseers present at the briefing. The others were probably off enjoying some condo in fucking Cuba or something. Aki folded his toned arms while staring up at them, his thick war-jacket making it hard for him to do so with the hard layers of padding and dangling grenades, ammunition packs, and sheathed knives on it. Tyrant spoke first "We are sending you off to a small town in Central Mexico where there are reports of small Daemonic activity. They are armed to the teeth, however, and probably intend to use it raiding other towns. A simple Kill-and-Come-Home mission." Aki chuckled in sarcastic amusement. Blade sneered in disgust at the vile person before them "What's so funny you filth?" Aki glared back up at him directly "Where's Sadow?" The two Overseers looked back at each other before dismissing the question "Hell-Hunters are not allowed t-" Aki cut him off "Spare me the bullshit, Overseer, 'cause I've had enough of it this morning. I want to know where the hell my brother is." Tyrant shook his head "X-27 is off doing Freelancer work, just as you need to be doing your own Soldier work." Blade picked up where Tyrant left off "Ask again, dog, and we'll feed you to the lions-" In an instant, Akihiro gripped Overseer Blade on each side of his skull with both hands, putting pressure on them. Within 3 seconds only a loud grunt of pain and a crunching sound followed by the splatter of blood and the crumpling of a corpse were heard. Tyrant gasped, the elderly man falling back, his eyes wide and mouth agape with terror. Aki's hands were covered in blood and he looked over with contempt "Tell me, you shrimp-dicked bed-wetter, where Sadow is now before I pop your head like a balloon as well." Tyrant shakily replied as sweat beaded down from his head "Oaktown! He's in Oaktown, in California!" Aki's mouth formed a wolfish grin as he displayed his Hell-Hunter canines to the Overseer "Perfect." Reaching down, he pulled the cowering Overseer to his feet, brushing him off neatly "Thank you, Overseer Tyrant. You've been very helpful." Tyrant chirped up "Y-You'll let me live?" Aki chuckled and replied calmly "Never did I say that." With a quick motion, he broke the Overseer's neck and turned to leave. It took two seconds when he stepped out the door for the alarm to go off. He was pretty sure the man watching through the camera's was shitting their pants. Grabbing Vincent and Viper from their rooms, they fought their way to the hangar, Aki explaining along the way "Our contract has been terminated, guys. But on the bright side, we now have the time to look for little brother together!" He said this as he ran down a hallway, entering his knife into the lungs of a petty soldier and slipping into the barracks with the two. He eyed a MILKOR 40 mm Hammer Grenade Launcher as well as a modified AA-12 with explosive-tip rounds. Just how Aki likes them. Vincent was picking up a prototype pistol with a long barrel and a feed of shells hanging from the chamber, like a Revolver if the bullets were shown. Taking it out of his hands, he handed him a M21 Sniper Rifle instead "You're my eyes and ears, Vincent. Always." Vincent grudgingly accepted it, wishing to be in the thick of the fighting for once instead of having to be in the distance thanks to his Ranger specialization. Aki himself examined the pistol and, shrugging, accepted it along with some spare rounds for it. Once fully stocked on equipment, they made an explosive getaway by blowing a hole through the armory wall and jumping out of the helicarrier base, using stolen Jetpack equipment to maneuver around the helicarrier's cannon fire. Aki smirked, sliding his metal mask that resembled one worn by Hockey goalies, and thinking to himself as the trio slipped below the helicarrier's sensor range "Here I come... brother." Family Earendur was 57 years old. Young, but not an infant. He always hated it when his older brother, Kareian, treated him as one though. The blonde Elvaan in glistening gold-coloured Cirithium plate berated his younger half-brother in Vaardenvalian tongue, stating his task is to secure information on the galaxy their nomadic fleet resided in ever since their planet was conquered. Every remaining Elf remembers that day, when fire rained from the sky and, without mercy or remorse, the Black Fleet laid waste to everything it set its sights upon. Earendur replied, still speaking their native language that colonization efforts are moving too slowly and that the Elvaan Fleet's energy reserves won't last them another year. His motive was to rally the race's of this galaxy in a hope to strike back at the Black Fleet and take back their homeworld, if it still existed. Kareian shook his head "Keth mala haeth vas kil, Earendur. Non pesse thrin." Translated into English, this meant "Stick to what you know, Earendur. Learn what you can." At this, the holographic projector ended the call between Earendur and the High-Commander of the Elvaan military. Earendur huffed, turning back to a holographic map of the galaxy they were in, with the different planets and moons as well as its inhabited ones. He knew there had to be someone in this galaxy that would care enough to spare them aid. The only question was... who? ----- Sadow emerged from his hiding spot, sure that this was his Daemon. Aiming a Revolver-like LK-Hornet pistol at the back of the hooded man's head, he declared aloud "Hands in the air before I turn your skull into a canoe." The Daemon turned his head, smirking at the Hell-Hunter before raising his clawed hands. His skin was an ashen pale and his hair was black and messy. His fangs were large and neatly filed. He seemed well-groomed for a lower-ranking Daemon. Curious. The hoodie and dark jeans seemed like personal taste as well as meant to help him blend into human society without attracting too much attention. Before Sadow could react, however, the Daemon began to seemingly evaporate instantly into a mist, the mass of foggy air gliding at a fast rate away from the group. A number of possible Daemon types ran through Sadow's mind. Many of them could shapeshift. Some were versatile and could take the form of almost anything desired. Others, like Cheshire, were bound to only a few forms. Some even could only change into one certain shape. But there were a number of Shifter-type Daemons who could perform the Mist form. Sadow pursued the mist with clenched teeth, not intent on letting this fucker get away again. Arra took off for them as well "Come on, Matt!" Matt didn't like this. More running. Taking a breath, he took off behind her. Behind the trio giving chase, another figure emerged in the bushes alongside a hidden Cheshire, drenched from the rain uncomfortably. The man was wearing a butler-like uniform, holding an umbrella over his head to shield himself from the rain "Thank you for the tip, feline. You may go." The cat turned and shook off the water sticking to her fur "Finally. Getting soaked over here..." Sadow's enhanced stamina and physical fitness far outweighed the two cadets, clearly shown at how much distance was between him and the two. All he could do was follow the Daemon, however, since there was little in the way of combating Mist form Daemons in Hell-Hunter tactics and warfare thus far. Looking back at the pair, he yelled "Get out of here! This fucker's mine!" Before he could react, however, he was blind-sighted by a re-materializing Daemon punk, who greeted "I recognize that hair. You're a Hell-Hunter. What's your name, cranky?" Sadow adjusted his jaw a bit, still a bit jarred from the punch, and replied "Sadow... Yatsumaru." The young Daemon, Feng, looked a little less cocky upon hearing the name. It was... him. Sadow of the Broken Branch, the man who mortally wounded the infamous Daemon-General, Arathas the Cruel in the Battle of the Sea of Trees. As his father had recounted to him; The Tale of the Broken Branch The Battle of the Sea of Trees was a Daemon-Human battle engaged in Aokigahara near Mount Fuji, Japan. Aokigahara, infamously known as the "Forest of Suicides" or, as the Battle's namesake, the "Sea of Trees", was a 35-kilometre forest that was a popular site for suicide attempts. It was made more famous as the location of a Hellgate, a portal to what the humans called "Hell" and the Daemon's home dimension. The Lamariat, Arathas, was going to personally lead a group of 1,000 elite Daemon troops through Japan's countryside in order to enslave or kill many of the population in an effort to strike fear into the heart of the country and cripple its resolve, supposedly. What they didn't expect was the Hell-Hunters. Lead by Hanzo Masasaki, a strike team of Hell-Hunters was dispatched to destroy the Daemons and close the Hell-Gate. The objective was a success for the Hell-Hunters but at the cost of Hanzo's life and a good many Hell-Hunters. Hungry for Daemon blood, the Beast known as Hanzo charged the Daemon ranks carelessly, slaughtering many in a battle-heated frenzy before engaging their leader directly; Arathas the Cruel. Metal banged against Bone-made weaponry as Arathas roared like a terrible storm at being stabbed in the stomach by the Hell-Hunter's blade. Angrily, the massive Krishkek Daemon broke the man's neck and ripped his head from his shoulders. Seeing a seasoned Hell-Hunter die in such a way demoralized the Hell-Hunter force, who were descended upon by the monsters. Fleeing into the forest, many were cut down or deserted. All but the Hunter, Sadow Yatsumaru, who hid and waited for opportunities to strike the Daemon's and save what few he could. But Sadow was unfortunate enough to happen upon the Lamariat himself. Arathas came upon Sadow like a fearsome swarm or a howling wind, pursuing him wherever he fled and breaking his defenses with his might and relentless fury. When the fight became a duel in the treetops, Sadow found himself pinned to an oaken trunk by one of Arathas' self-produced Bone Splinters, hopelessly trying to pull it out and escape the wrath of the oncoming monster. When all hope seemed lost, the Daemon found his footing to be loose and the branch that he stepped on on his way to Sadow snapped, sending Arathas plummeting down unexpectedly. The creature landed on his ankle, breaking it and allowing Sadow the time to rip the Splinter out, descend from the trees and, while Arathas was down, brought a nearby Daemon corpses' axe down upon the Lamariat in a multitude of hate-filled strikes. Arathas lost a leg, a hand, was slashed down the shoulder and torso, and was grievously injured in the head as the axe nearly split his skull apart. Before Sadow could finish his work, reinforcements came from the Hellgate and the Hunters had to double back after calling in air-support. The majority of the Daemon's flooding out of the Gate were blown to bits, and the Gate itself closed after a single missile went through it. Sadow Yatsumaru, from that day onward, was nicknamed "Sadow of the Broken Branch" by both the human and Daemon communities for his luck in the fight. But the days of his youth were over, and now Feng was standing before a seasoned veteran threatening to burn the Daemon boy to ash. That would not happen. Sadow spoke up "I told you my name, so may I ask you yours?" Polite for Hell-Hunter garbage. The youth grinned like a ravenous hyena "You may call me Feng... Jackal." And now it was Sadow's turn to be surprised. This punk was claiming to be apart of the underground Daemon clan Jackal? Sadow would find his doubts unturned by a loud gunshot erupting in the air outside the forest followed by a burn so intense, it brought him to his knees and knocked the breath from his lungs. Looking down to find a good chunk of his rib replaced with a bleeding hole, he looked over to see a butler-looking figure with an umbrella and a single-barrel Sawnoff shotgun, having the strength to use it with a single arm. Clearly a Daemon. Smoke glided out of the barrel of the weapon as the butler spoke "And I am Mayhew, Vassal to the Jackel Family and protector of its interests." Sadow felt like he was gonna faint, toppling over onto his good side and holding his wound in agony, trying to reach a pistol he dropped with a shaky grip. Feng quickly ran over and stepped on his hand as he grabbed it, causing Sadow to clench his teeth and yowl in pain as his fingers are jammed against the metal "You... fucking... prick..." Feng smirked and spat down at Sadow's face "You might've been lucky to barely beat Lord Arathas, but no one- and I mean no one- fucks with the Jackals. You thought you could trick me with those two maggots as bait?! Please... Though I wouldn't mind taking in that succulent virgin over there..." He says this while grinning heatedly at Arra, who arrived on the scene with Matt just as Sadow's hand was stomped on. She returned the look with one of contempt and disgust. "Fucking creep..." Mayhew berated him calmly "Lord Feng, you should return to the estate. Your father is looking for a report and I'm sure he'd like to know about this." Feng shrugged in response "What's to tell yet? Pops can wait. I'd rather report a dead Hell-Hunter than a live one." Matt clenched his fists angrily, wanting to step in but knowing neither Arra nor Matt had the qualifications to take on two Daemons by themselves. Shit was getting bad... Project "Cysti" Earendur always felt under-dressed when addressing "Cyl-baleth", the Oracle in English. A member of a forgotten humanoid race of seers and psions, the Oracle was capable of predicting the future and seeing outcomes of certain decisions and variables in visions and dreams. The Elvaan, Earendur in particular, had relied on her wisdom and aid heavily when getting better acclimated to the galaxy they now resided in. Politely removing his shoes as customary for humans and, for that matter, the Oracle, he entered and bowed formally to the being that took the appearance of a young girl with short, grey hair with a single white streak through it, missing one of her legs and appearing scarred on the left half of her otherwise youthful face. She lived in a small apartment littered with incense, candles, stacks of CD's and DVD's, a guitar in a corner, and other odds and ends of human society as she resided on Earth and blended with their culture. She sat on a sofa watching the news on Television while tiredly smoking a cigarette "How many times, Earendur, am I going to have to tell you you do not have to bow to me before you actually stop?" She smiled over at him and he smiled back "You have done so much for my people. So much for me, as well... personally... I would feel rude not to bow." She scooted over and patted on a seat next to her, allowing the Elf to join her in watching the news. He spoke up with a look of disappointment "Brother has... disapproved of Project Cysti. He says I need to focus more on colonization efforts rather than retaking our homeland." The Oracle stabbed the small remains of her cigarette into a nearby ash tray, confirming "I warned you not to involve him. Your brother knows we cannot retake your home with your current numbers and he doesn't believe anyone in the galaxy would help." Earendur gave her a questioning look "But you do...?" She looked back at him with her large, white-eyes that seemed to peer into everything that comprised him, and responded by gesturing to the TV "Take a look, Earendur. The United States are about to have their next Presidential Election soon. I can tell you who will win, what decision that President will make, and what the people will think of them before, during, and after they are President. I can tell you what breakfast the President will eat the day he becomes President. The clothes he'll wear. The people he'll run with. His first grade teacher's name. His phone number. His e-mail address. His campaign slogan. His tax returns. His-" Earendur was too confused by all these words and how fast she was talking and interrupted "Please, Oracle... I understand." She smiled and sipped a beer from a counter next to her couch "I can tell you everything you could want to know about the next President of the United States of America. I can also tell you..." she looked back up at him with a hopeful smile "...that you will have your home back." Earendur sighed "I wish that were true, but Kareian was very clear-" She cut him off "Project Cysti - Project "Home" - will start today." This shocked the Elf. Such a grand-scale operation would require... months! Years possibly! Negotiations needed to be made, deals secured... She continued "Your first recruits will be of many, but be close and dear to you as more than just comrades or guns for hire. They will be your most dear friends. As close as family. Three Hell-Hunters, three humans, a Catharsian, and an Eckari. From this, the birth of your army will begin and slowly, but surely, you will take back what belongs to the Elvaan." Earendur questioned further "Where do I begin? What do I ask these people? What are their names? Where can I find them?" The Oracle coughed into her a hand a bit before continuing "You will find the Hell-Hunter and two of the three humans with him in Oaktown, California near the Oaktown Marine Academy. You will need to get there fast, for I fear the they may be in grave danger as we speak." Earendur looked frantic. How could he get there in time to save them? He'd need his Combat Equipment. So much to do! The Oracle pointed over to a dresser "In that dresser is a jade-looking ball. It is an Orb of Translocation. It will teleport you to your home where you can quickly supply yourself then to the area where your friends are. I fixed the locations for you. All you have to do is touch it and say Go, got it?" He nodded, accepting the green sphere from the dresser. She warned him "Make haste, Elfling. Your friends' lives are at stake." He would not fail these new friends he will be making. He will not. He will save them, so they can save his world. ----- Sadow, with practiced speed, retrieved a curved knife from his belt and stabbed it into Feng's thigh. The metal dagger dug deep into his flesh and pierced through his muscle painfully, causing the young Daemon to howl in agony and lift his foot for a moment, giving Sadow the opportunity to fling his revolver into the air as Mayhew frantically attempted to reload his shotgun, dropping his umbrella on the wet grass. Sadow caught it with his left hand and took aim, firing a single round at the Daemon servant. The bullet shot through the air as Mayhew finished reloading his gun and took aim, entering the barrel of the shotgun and colliding with the shell inside and erupting the metal weapon in a cloud of fire and shrapnel. Mayhew found himself not only at a loss of hands but covered with sharp metal bits and wooden splinters covering his burning torso and face. He shrieked in unbearable suffering and the fear of it. The rain cleansed him of the fire but did not help his bleeding. Capitalizing on this, Sadow fired a second round, which cleanly blew a small hole through the man's forehead and creating a gaping crater of blood and brain in the back of his head. Within seconds, the Daemon known as Mayhew stood in place as he slowly degenerated into a melting statue of mud, quickly becoming nothing but a mound of it filled with shrapnel. Feng's eyes widened in horror at his bodyguard's death. "M-Mayhew...?" Sadow quickly turned his aim to the Daemon boy, his eyes flaring into a vibrant red and his teeth clenched bitterly "You... made a huge mistake fucking with me today, you brat!" Before Sadow could fire, however, he found his arm snapped in the wrong direction by a new assailant. A man with slitted yellow eyes, dark hair and wolf ears on the top of his head instead of human ones grinned at him "Not as big a mistake as you've made, Hell-Hunter." All that Sadow could do was grunt, inhale deeply, and let out a pain-filled scream as he dropped his revolver on the grass. One hand numb and near-broken, the other arm completely broken. ----- Earendur outfitted himself with silver Cirithium mail and a green cloth tunic over it bearing the four-winged "Feyrling" bird symbol of his Noble House on the back. On his hands were metal gauntlets fitted with a multi-coloured gem in each one. A Mana-Gem for his Power Gauntlets. With these, he could perform moderate spells with ease. He packed a heavy, car-battery sized Recharger module for his Gauntlets into a green bagpack along with some scrolls and vials of liquids of varying colour. Putting on a protective Light Cirithium helmet on and fastening it with leather straps to his head, he found himself ready for combat. Grasping the green sphere in his hand, he uttered his Translocation Key: "Go!" ----- Matt rushed in, knowing the Hell-Hunter was no longer in the fight. He raised his clenched fist, his large arm muscles tightening in adrenaline-fueled fury, and launched it toward the face of this new Daemon assailant. This new Daemon accepted the punch willingly, not phased at it at all and standing perfectly still with the human's fist buried in his cheek. He greeted with a muffled voice from a fist half-tucked in his jaw "Hello, my name is Arcus. Along with Mayhew over there, I secure the Jackal Family's interests. And right now, I think those interests are kicking the snot out of you bastards for killing our friend." At this, Arcus plowed his own fist into Matt's unprepared gut, sending him to the ground in a wheezing fit. Matt felt like he was going to puke his own heart. Arra clenched her teeth and ran in as well, tired of watching her new friends get the crap beaten out of them and aimed a series of Karate-kicks at the Daemon, who guarded with his own legs. He mocked the girl while evading and easily blocking her attempted assault "You've got spunk there, girly. A damn shame I'm gonna have to kill you. I don't like killing girls." Arra spat back as their eyes locked during a guarded attack, Arra's glare full of hate "Fuck you!" As punishment for her fowl language, Arcus slammed his elbow to her back, damn near breaking her spine. She fell to the ground, suffering a followed-up kick to the ribs. Feng stepped in before Arcus could do any more damage "Roll it back there, Archy. I want her kept pretty. She's our consolation prize for Mayhew's death. I'm sure Pop won't mind." Arcus glared up at the boy with disgust "This girl and her buddies killed Mayhew. She shares their fate." Feng, annoyed with his servant's attitude, spoke up "Is that a fact?! I came here looking for fun, and I'm gonna get it! Even if it has to be here on this wet fucking grass!" At this, Feng turned Arra onto her back and sat on her waist, leaning down to smell her fear. Arcus looked away with a sneer of disapproval as a green light shot up from the ground close to them, emerging from it being an elf in silver armour and a green cloth outfit around it and a bagpack. Earendur eyed the field and its inhabitants assessing the damage. Two humans looked injured and a man with white hair, presumably the Hell-Hunter, had passed out. The human girl though... She was... Feng spoke up "Who the fuck is this clow-" Before his word could finish, almost like a thunderbolt descending on a hapless tree, the Elf shot his Magically-enhanced fist into the cheek of the hooded figure on top of the girl, sending him flying like a bullet into a nearby tree. Earendur's eyes glowed vibrantly with a multitude of colours and his voice resonated with a multitude of tones "Cyth pan dol ha!" In English, his words translated to "Get away from her!" Arcus, in the meantime, attempted to aim a punch at the Elf, who gripped the Daemon's fist as quickly as he could throw it and twisted the man's arm, snapping it out of socket. Earendur hated many things in this world. Thievery, lying to enhance your own ambitions, murder... but rape he held as the most vile of atrocities able to be committed by mankind. In English this time, he spoke "You will never touch her again!" Arra, barely still conscious and finding it hard to breath with the bruised ribs and blow to her back, stared weakly up at her saviour as if he were God descending from Heaven to aid them. ----- Viper couldn't stand California's heat. She stood outside the car that Aki had "commandeered" from a traveling farmer's son unlucky enough to be driving below them. Now the boy wouldn't be making it home to his Ma or Pa, buried in an unmarked grave next to the road simply for defying Aki. The trio stole the car due to the Jetpacks fuel running out. They were lucky they got as far as they did, though she was sure they were being pursued. She had taken off her black trenchcoat and was wearing a simple white tank top and dark grey pants. Vincent was refueling the car while Aki paid for it inside along with some drinks with the dead kid's money. Inside the store, the elderly service clerk chewed on some pink bubblegum loudly, her lips and cheeks smacking away like a heifer regurgitating its curd. She, like Viper, was wearing but a simple white tank top with jeans, her greyed hair in a bun though coming undone and messy from sweat. Aki scoped around the isles, grabbing some various candy's and snacks and placing them in his pockets before grabbing his team their desired drinks; cool, refreshing beers. An entire case of it, as well as a pack of ice and a cooler for them. He set them down on the counter in front of the service clerk before pulling his wallet out "How much...?" She chewed her gum and spoke while staring at him, looking up from her month-old magazine "$53.75 total. You one o' them Hell-Hunters?" Aki's eye gave a single twitch as she blew a bubble upon finishing her insipid question. "What gave it away?" he smiled, revealing his canines, trying to ignore her annoying chewing sounds and offensive cliché appearance. She looked back down at the magazine "You kill any o' them Demons, have ya'?" Aki could stand no more, and placed the money for the beers, ice, and cooler as well as the gas on the counter "Lost count of how many." She flipped a page and blew another bubble "Mah son enlisted but couldn't become one. Lucky him, I guess." That was the last straw on Aki's tolerance meter. He gave her a questioning look and raised his voice "I'm sorry, are you trying to insult me here?" She looked surprised and tripped on her words "Oh, n-n-no! I wasn't!" Aki's slitted blue eyes met her dull, brown ones with contempt "Lucky him, I guess. Why? Why lucky? What's so wrong with being a Hunter, huh?!" She tried to calm him down "Sir, I didn't mean nothin' by it. Was just sayin'..." He gave her a confused, enraged look "Sayin'...? Sayin' what? What were you trying to say, exactly? Hm?" She was now losing her patience with the psychotic man in front of her, chewing hard on her gum in stress "I want you to leave, sir." Aki couldn't believe it. "You want me to leave. A national-fucking-hero, who has saved the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of people.. and you want me to leave. ...Not without my receipt." She rested her hands on the counter and stared at her while chewing still "You gonna pay for those snacks in your pockets?" That sealed her fate. Aki gripped her shirt and pulled her close, the woman screaming and aiming punches at the muscled Hell-Hunter's exposed arms. He bellowed "You are the rudest piece of pigshit this side of America's gas industry, and if you do not stop chewing that fucking gum I will rip it the fuck out of your decapitated head!" Instead of, logically, spitting the gum out the woman cried for her life. Aki looked disgusted by her and threw her into the wall behind the counter, turning to leave with his items. He stopped dead in his tracks as he heard the repeated beeping of a phone being dialed. Three beeps. Turning, he threw a jagged Hunting Knife into the woman's wrist that was holding the phone, nailing her to the wall. The phone dialed for a second than a woman could be heard over the end answering "911? Can you state the nature of your emergency?" At this, Aki flipped one of his Desert Eagles out of his belt-holsters and shot the phone, disconnecting the call. The woman screamed in a mix of fear and pain as Aki took aim for her. Vincent and Viper both jumped as they heard gunshots and saw Aki, covered in blood, storm out of the gas station. Viper asked "What the hell happened?!" Aki set the things in the back of the car "No time right now. Clerk was a bitch. I shot her. We have exactly three minutes to put distance between us and this shithole before the cops arrive. Let's move." At this, they drove off with not only their own stolen items but a "full refund plus interest" from the cash register, as Aki called it. He needed to prove that America wasn't full of greedy, impolite business people. He wanted to form his own business. And it would be an honest one. ----- Matt could feel a cool liquid all around him, like he was submerged in a pool of water on a hot summer's day. Except the pool tastes like chicken broth. He felt around his suroundings for a bit. Glass, all around him. He was still in his clothes though they were assuredly soaked with whatever tasty shit he was bathing in and drinking through a tube surrounding his mouth and feeding air to his nose so he could breathe. He felt the water drain from the tank he was in, and notably he felt... refreshed. No pain, no ache. Sure, his lungs still felt heavy from cigarettes and pot but otherwise he felt right as rain. The tank glass slided over and he heard Arra say "Here." while handing him a towel to dry off his face with "The Elf guy is explaining everything." Matt raised a brow upon drying his eyes "Elf guy...?", having no recollection of anything after passing out. Earendur sat at the end of a bed with Sadow laying in it, recovering from his injuries. A wooden, empty bowl of soup lay on a counter top next to him. Matt rested the towel around his neck and asked, leaning against a nearby wall. He could smell... Peanut Butter in the air for some reason. Turning to the Elf, he asked "Where are we? And what was I just in?" Earendur answered each question he asked in order "My ship. We're a few miles away from Oaktown, but we're on our way there now. And you humans call it a "Recuperation Tank", filled with Pym-fluids. They boost your healing and defenses from infection or disease, provide essential vitamins and minerals, regenerate lost tissue and rapidly speed up recovery. It's made so that not only can you survive inside of it with everything you need, but can recover from even some of the most grievous of injuries. It's been a popular piece of technology used widely throughout your known galaxy and you humans are finally starting to adopt it." Matt raised a brow questioningly "And the chicken broth flavour?" Earendur chuckled "I like it. They have a selection, but I prefer the Ramen-like taste." Matt shrugged in return "Fair enough. But why save us? Why bring us here?" Arra followed "You're that Ambassador from the Field Training earlier today." Earendur looked thoughtful. Was this something he himself should reveal to them or leave to the Oracle to do? Before he could answer, the Oracle herself chimed in from the kitchen. "Fudge is almost done! Hope you saved room in that belly for my more than just Pym-juice..." she said as she wheeled herself into the room in a blue wheelchair "...young man." Earendur and Matt scarfed down peanut butter fudge and gulped down milk like it was never going to exist again. The Oracle had a thing with secrets and visions, but her true talent lay in cooking. Arra, instead, ate a small batch of chocolate fudge the Oracle made just for her due to her allergy to peanuts. Sadow, in the meantime, contented himself with a simple glass of milk, trying one piece of fudge and settling on that. He did not having much of a sweet tooth anyway. The Oracle began "You three are here because you have the skill and potential to save Earendur's homeworld, Thyraesal, and reclaim it for the Elvaan who now roam the galaxy without a place to call home." Matt asked in between bites of fudge and swigs of milk "Why ush? Arra and I are only recruitsh!" His mouth was full thus his speech was a bit slurred. The Oracle continued "All great things have small beginnings. I know you both yearn for adventure. For a life more grand than a simple military career on some backwater world." Sadow chuckled in amusement "Suppose we did agree to this. What then? All of us go to this planet and save it from... what, exactly?" The Oracle looked solemn and ominous when answering this particular question, gazing down at a lit cigarette in her hand. "The Elvaan call them the Shaar-Mateth. The Black-Fleet. They are a race of red-skinned conquerors, masters of Magick and Mineral. Their ships decimated the Elvaan, and only through a great sacrifice of many did the current nomadic Fleet escape alive." Sadow looked skeptical "And you expect us to take them on all by ourselves?" He was, of course, goading more information out of her through sarcasm though he could simply ask. The Oracle smiled and ashed her cigarette idly "For this task, you all will need to assemble allies for the Elvaan to return home with. Armies of different races, groups, and allegiances. Some will be bought, others won through debt or loyalty. Some might even care just for the sake of battle or because they care about the Elvaan's plight." Matt asked, swallowing his last piece of fudge "Where do we start?" The Oracle explained "You will first need to find and enlist the aid of ones infamously known as the Genocide Brothers." At this, Sadow protested "Fuck. That." They all looked at him, all but the Oracle confused by his outburst. He went on "Not only does this divert from our original mission to hunt down and kill the rat in your Academy, but this goes against my Hell-Hunter work entirely. My enemy is Daemons, not alien overlords. Besides, the Genocide Brothers are Blacklists." Arra questioned curiously "Blacklists...?" "Blacklisted. You know: Badbloods, Renegades, Rogues, Runaways, deserters... Dishonourably abandoning their stations and disabling their locator chips installed in their brains. No one knows where they are, and any who find out are supposed to turn them in." he explained. The Oracle repeated once more "You will need their help if you are to retake Thyraesal." Before Sadow could respond, she continued on "I know the Daemons are a threat, Sadow. But you must trust me." Sadow gave her an unimpressed look "Why? Why me? What do I get out of this? No offense to the Elves, but their problems are not mine." The Oracle smiled "What if Earendur were to help you find Furi before you depart Earth...?" Sadow's eyes widened in shock "How do you...?" He grabbed her arms and shook her, the Oracle looking unsurprised but nevertheless drops her cigarette by accident. He raised his voice this time "How do you know about her?! About me?!" The Oracle pointed to her eyes "These eyes have watched you, Sadow, since the day you were born. They also see... how you will die." The two of them locked gazes for almost a full ten seconds before she spoke once more "Let us help you. Earn your trust. Then, abandon your ties with the United Human Alliance. They are not what they seem. You often think why you serve the Overseers when all they do is abuse you Hell-Hunters. This mission... will change not only the history of Thyraesal, but that of Earth and the entire galaxy as well. Please... trust us." Sadow gave a swallow of his conscience and nodded "I will." ----- Sadow didn't like this at all, but if it was a chance to find Furi, which was the main reason he even accepted the Freelancer program invitation in the first place, he had to take it. He voiced concern after concern to the Oracle however, one of which being the most dire "What of my locator chip? If this isn't direct Hell-Hunter business, I'm going to be Blacklisted for it. If I'm going to be Blacklisted, I'll need the chip disabled so the others cannot track us down." The Oracle nodded "Indeed. Which is why we're going to give you a little zap to shut it off." Sadow protested "Wait, what-" but was immediately interrupted by the Oracle tapping his forehead with her index and middle fingers, sending a jolt of Magick-based electricity concentrated on any Augmented additions of his brain, the only one being his locator chip. Sadow felt a quick jolt of pain in the center of his cranium then an almost dizzy feeling. "What the fuck!? You tell me to trust you and you pull this shit?!" The Oracle warned with a straight but playful face "Watch the language in this ship, mister. I'm not afraid to zap away your ability to have kids either." Sadow gulped. He no longer wanted to be a part of this group. Meanwhile, in the other room, Earendur outfitted Matt with a pocket-held Pym-juice injector feeding straight to his Liver "This should feed not only into your dying Liver but the rest of your bloodstream as well, rebuilding the parts of your body that have been destroyed. It'll take some months before you're fully recovered, but otherwise this should clean you out. If you begin to see things such as tar or blood in your stool, however, don't be alarmed, it's just your body flushing out the bad stuff." Matt became ridged. He hated seeing his own blood. "Blood... in my... stool?" Before Earendur could elaborate further, the ship's navigational computer alerted in Elvish that they were three miles out from Oaktown. Just five minutes left. When they get there, Sadow insisted on finishing his last Hell-Hunter job, with the aid of his newfound allies. But first, Arra and Matt needed to collect their things before they'd make their assault on the Jackal Manor, the destination of which the Oracle already knew. Part of the Game The Jackal Clan, despite its wealth, was extremely small and could not afford anything more extravagant than it already had in order to keep under the radar. It was headed by well-connected Lucius Jackal, who ran an underground human enslavement ring during the Daemon-Human War and, has since, been serving under different Devil Lords in hopes of improving his family's position. The man had long, silver hair and often wore a top hat and a finely-dressed suit. His wife, Martha Jackal, wore a dark red dress that was cut off at the chest and shoulders, revealing her bust. She acted mostly as a trophy wife and prize to taunt Lucius' rivals with. They both had three sons; Lucent, Jace, and Feng. Lucius was a wolf-shifter Daemon, while Martha was a low-level Succubus. Their sons, likewise, inherited traits from both species'. Feng was recovering with an ice bag on his head, his bleeding wound already healing thanks to Daemonic recuperation. Arcus had to snap his arm back into place and now has a Cast over it. Jace spoke to Lucent in a dark hall of the manor regarding it "Mayhew dead... Arcus and Feng wounded... What the hell happened out there?!" Lucent, regal and condescending, gave a look of disgust at the door of his youngest brother's room where he lay sleeping "Feng has always been a weakling. But whatever could take down Arcus, that's a real threat. According to him, it was a Hell-Hunter and an Elf." Jace scoffed "An Elf?! How could an Elf do that?!" Lucent walked with him, his cape bearing the symbol of a Wolf with a Cross in its mouth emblazoned on the back flowing as he turned on his heel around a corner "I know not. All I know is father is finally beginning to call in favours. He's meeting with Lady Fukienziru now." Fukienziru. The name itself often sent cold shivers down the spines of even the most wretched of Daemons. She is one whose power-base consists mostly of those foolish enough to strike pacts or deals with her. Lucius, having served the Devil-Lord who lead the forces against Earth, Haedras, hoped that his allegiance to him would shield him from any harm Lady Fuki might incur. Sitting at a long dinner table, Lucius spoke aloud, sitting next to his wife who looked ready to have this meeting over with. She folded her pale, smooth legs and kept her gaze focused at the table, not wanting to meet eyes with those of Lady Fuki. Lucius' voice was calm and stern, yet youthful. A perk thanks to his Shapeshifting abilities. "One of my retainers was killed. Another was injured along with my youngest son. I require your... services." The shadows of the dimly-lit main hall seemed to come alive as a female voice returned suavely "Poor little Jackal... I hope he is recovering well. A little birdie told me that the assailants were a Hell-Hunter, a pair of humans... and an Elf. Am I correct?" Lucius nodded "I would like them destroyed. I want them to suffer for the dishonour they've done to my House." The shadow, swirling into tendrils of black liquid, solidified into the shape of a pale woman with short, evenly-cut black hair and eyes as red as a scarlet moon. With one of her tendril "legs", she pulled up a chair and sat in it, grinning darkly "Your typical revenge needs, then? But see, the problem with that is, these four individuals happen to belong to me. I've already sent one of my own out to collect them." Lucius was shocked. These assailants were one of hers?! He gulped nervously "But... Lady Fukienziru, honour dictates..." Fuki let out a series of giggles "Honour?" before moving on to a more sinister roar of laughter, the echo thundering down the stone halls of the manor. "When did honour mean anything to a Daemon?! I think you've been living up here, around these filthy humans, for too long, Jackal. You're beginning to stink of them." At this, one of her tendrils slowly slithered up his leg and around his torso like a snake. She continued with a cruel smirk "You think your dealings with Haedras will mean anything? You think because you hand him a small, off-the-map, shithole town like this, you will suddenly earn his favour?! Tell me..." She leaned in close, making both terrified beyond rational reason, and whispered "...If I were to kill you, do you think your precious master would lift a single finger? You think he'd shed a tear? That he'd even consider you a loss. No, my little over-sensitive friend... you were never even a piece on the board." Her grinning facade faded into that of a threatening glare as her tendril expanded and fully coiled around him tightly "Listen close, you filthy worm... These souls are mine to do with as I please. If I so much as smell you within a mile of them, I will make your family enjoy it as they eat each other alive!" At this, she flung the aristocratic Daemon into a nearby tapestry and dissipated into multiple, flying shadows that disappeared into the darkness of the main hall. Quickly, Martha came to the aid of her husband, who rubbed his practically-strangled throat sorely "Damn... I will not be robbed of my honour like this... I will avenge Mayhew's death! That Hell-Hunter... Sadow of the Broken Branch... will... die." Looking to her, he commanded "Send word to the Lamariat. Tell him... everything." ----- Before the group was set to reach Oaktown, Arra spoke privately with the Oracle while the others prepared themselves for whatever was about to go down. "Listen... I know this whole planet saving thing is important to you guys, but... I just don't think I'm ready to just give up my career, and possibly even my life, for this. I mean... no offense, but I don't even know you guys. Besides... why did you even choose Matt and I to begin with?" The Oracle smiled up at her while smoking a cigarette "Why, you ask? You both have more to offer than you realize. As far as things go, you both are free to do as you wish. But know that when the world around you burns and crumbles, you will always have family here." These words struck a certain deep chord in Arra, who looked visibly shocked by the Oracle's wisdom and phrasing "What did you say...?" The Oracle simply smiled in return as the ship's navigational computer spoke up in Elvaan, revealing that they had arrived near Oaktown. Earendur parked the ship on the edge of town, in the woods, using its advanced visual and sensor cloaking device to keep it hidden. Sadow, Earendur, Matt, and Arra each exited the ship, leaving the Oracle behind to meditate with the help of a bowl of Marijuana. The plan was for Arra and Matt to go to their respective houses, collect the things they'd wish to bring if they were going to tag along, and meet Sadow and Earendur across from the Academy, intent on tracking the Daemonic blood trail left behind by Feng back to their hole and finish them. Arra packed several changes of clothing and other essentials into a dufflebag before looking over at a picture of her adoptive parents smiling with a young Arra between them, missing one of her baby teeth in a goofy grin. A single tear slid from her eye and trickled down her cheek as she picked it up, examining it closely. She knew she had to do this. Help this Elf reclaim his home. They would've wanted her to help those in need rather than pursue her own agenda. Wiping the tears forming in her eyes away, she placed the picture in her duffle bag and zipped it up, slinging it over her shoulder. Matt lit a cigarette as he walked down the sidewalk, pondering the day's events. He'd sworn to uphold the Woods' line of duty and honour in service to his country, but... He was sure there was more honour in giving service to those who truly needed it. Before he could ponder further, he looked up to find his home had been broken into. Running up to the smashed-in door, he looked inside. The place was torn apart but no sign of anyone. Stepping tentatively onto the glass-covered carpet, he inspected his surroundings carefully. Those Jackal guys could've done this and still be here. He quickly felt a strong backhand to his head, sending him into a nearby wall. He winced in pain and looked up to see a guy wearing a black trenchcoat, similar to Sadow's, but with an open center lined with spikes. Beneath was a brown flak jacket covered in grenades and ammo pouches. The guy himself was clearly a Hell-Hunter, having spikey hair that went down to his shoulders and slitted, blue eyes like Sadow's. The man had a tattoo of a dashed line going around his neck like an open invitation for decapitation. The smug cheap-shotting bastard was also holding the talking cat from before by her tail, dangling her like a prize as she looked clearly pained by it. The psychotic Hell-Hunter grinned with a certain satisfaction "Hey kid. I'd like to ask some questions." Matt rubbed his jaw while wincing in pain, his ears ringing still "Such as...?" The Hell-Hunter smirked, his slitted pupils expanding out like a cat's as they adjusted "What can you tell me about a guy named Sadow...?" ----- END OF CHAPTER 2 ----- Hello readers! What did you think of Chapter 2? Leave Comments in the sections below! I'd like to give a heartfelt shout out to my good friend Gecide who has encouraged me to keep this going and has stuck with it! ^^ Next time in Tias Reae: A nightmare from Sadow's past has come back to haunt him, and the Cysti group gains some interesting followers! Read on: Chapter 3: A Bone to Pick